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End of an era in Val d'Isere - the Moris Hotel is finally closing

So it turns out my trip to the Moris earlier this month was my last one ever! Not only is the Moris closing but Mark Warner are also shutting the Cristallo in Courmayeur, meaning they'll no longer operate in Italy.

There was a lot of chat during the week that the hotel had been sold and was being redeveloped but those rumours have been around for years. Now it seems they are true!

I've been a Moris regular for around ten years now and I'll definitely be sorry to see it go. It's always been scruffy, run down and smelly, but it was unpretentious and provided a warm bed and a (boiling or freezing) shower - plus the bands downstairs were great. A week there in March could be had for less than £800, and there were always further discounts to make it even cheaper. The single rooms were very useful too.

Of course it did attract some 'characters' (aka weirdos), but that was almost part of its charm.

Val d'Isere is so expensive, I'm not sure where to look for future holidays there. The other Mark Warner hotel is £1050 for the same week next year, and when you throw in a £270 lift pass it starts to get a bit pricey.

RIP the Moris, it's been a blast.

Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

A shame. I worked there in 1999/2000 and, as you wrote, it was scruffy and run down, but the clients knew what they were getting and most were return visitors. It had a certain charm when compared with much of the rest of town, and the Moris Pub was a great place for live music and toffee vodka.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

My first ever ski trip was a Mark Warner package to the Moris.. obviously I loved it, sad to hear it's going to be no more

The Morris ... those were the days.
My visit there was 14 chums back in 1996 (I think) [it was the season that Head presented us with the X13 parabolix]
I didn't called them carvers, I just could not stop them turning.

Anyway, we loved the Morris. It was pretty funky like a few other Mark Warner gigs.
The Monte Forte Chalet in Verbier comes to mind.

That was brilliant ... we had a room with a balcony and its own glacier crossing the floor, wellies were needed.

Both of these chalets had the benefit of a very lively bars downstairs.

Perhaps the Monte Fort is still there? I haven't been back to Verbier for many years.

Our crew did get a yellow card from the manager at the Morris, some other guests on the next table thought we were enjoying ourselves too much.

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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.

It's a prime spot and the land must be worth a fortune, but there is no talk of it closing on the Val FB pages.

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Ski the Net with snowHeads

vipul wrote:

Hate that place great news that it is going 😃😃😃😃

Have you tried not going there, as an alternative remedy?

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@bar shaker,

And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

It is a prime plot and location - could easily be knocked down to build an apartment block or hotel - the Cygnaski was another Mark Warner chalet (with creche which our young children enjoyed XX years ago!) half-way down to La Daille and that has been turned into apartments.

Having stayed in the Moris (3 times?), Cygnaski a while back and the Berangere in Les Deux Alpes, I seriously wonder if Mark Warner are just gradually giving up on running ski chalets (given all the hassle with staff, customers and regulations) and becoming a property play.

The Moris must be worth a €2 -5 Million just to then knock it down!

So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

Stopped in the Cygnaski at the turn of the century with my then little kids. Was told then that MW where the second largest employer in Val D behind the lift company, not sure if it's true, but they certainly haven't got that presence any more. Happy to say we won the Moris pub quiz back in Jan as a walk up team of 3 who didn't even know there was a quiz. The free beer was most welcome.

You know it makes sense.

You know it makes sense.

Ashridge wrote:

I seriously wonder if Mark Warner are just gradually giving up on running ski chalets (given all the hassle with staff, customers and regulations) and becoming a property play.

They've got rid of so many hotels in recent years, I wonder the same. They've only got a handful of ski hotels left - six in France (three in the EK) and one in St Anton.

I wouldn't be surprised if they quit the ski business altogether and just do summer holidays instead.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

HoneyBunny wrote:

So it turns out my trip to the Moris earlier this month was my last one ever! Not only is the Moris closing but Mark Warner are also shutting the Cristallo in Courmayeur, meaning they'll no longer operate in Italy.

There was a lot of chat during the week that the hotel had been sold and was being redeveloped but those rumours have been around for years. Now it seems they are true!

I've been a Moris regular for around ten years now and I'll definitely be sorry to see it go. It's always been scruffy, run down and smelly, but it was unpretentious and provided a warm bed and a (boiling or freezing) shower - plus the bands downstairs were great. A week there in March could be had for less than £800, and there were always further discounts to make it even cheaper. The single rooms were very useful too.

Of course it did attract some 'characters' (aka weirdos), but that was almost part of its charm.

Val d'Isere is so expensive, I'm not sure where to look for future holidays there. The other Mark Warner hotel is £1050 for the same week next year,
and when you throw in a £270 lift pass it starts to get a bit pricey.

RIP the Moris, it's been a blast.

Have you thought of a Bash? The Pre BB Bash last year, £525 for a very nice hotel, half board, with showers that work and a lift pass (not confirmed for this year). Flight and transfer to find. Bashes have been known to attract the odd character too.

Poster: A snowHead

Poster: A snowHead

^ oh I've been on a few bashes before, great fun! I prefer to go the EK in March though when the weather is (usually) starting to get a bit warmer.

The town of Val d'Isere itself is undergoing a massive redevelopment this year - a new moving walkway is being built!:

@PeakyB, I’ve never found a bar with a sticker floor than the Moris. The Danois is opposite the Casserole restaurant which sits just at the roundabout next to the Gare Routiere. Roughly opposite the Spar

After all it is free

After all it is free

HoneyBunny wrote:

^ oh I've been on a few bashes before, great fun! I prefer to go the EK in March though when the weather is (usually) starting to get a bit warmer.

The town of Val d'Isere itself is undergoing a massive redevelopment this year - a new moving walkway is being built!:

The whole block from the Banana Bar to the Gare Routier is planned to be redeveloped... but they need someone to come forward with the €200,000,000 first

You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.

You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.

@muppet, thanks.
I think a few square metres of the Moris floor should be kept and displayed in the Val D museum.

Useful for catching insects in the summer.

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Used to go in there 94/96 ish (I think).....shame to see old places like that go.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

End of another era!

The Pacific Bar has been sold and will close its doors this weekend.

Closing party this Saturday..

And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

HoneyBunny wrote:

End of another era!

The Pacific Bar has been sold and will close its doors this weekend.

Closing party this Saturday..

Guffy will be sorely missed.

So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

By the way, a source in Val d'Isere says nothing's happened with the Moris this summer, so maybe the pub will be back next season and they'll just continue to use the hotel as staff accommodation until a decision's been made on how to redevelop the building.

The Pacific Bar will just be closed for the coming season and nothing will happen with it for the moment.

You know it makes sense.

You know it makes sense.

Ogier Sport ( the expensive/designer shop, which usually has the hot chicken van parked in front of it on Mondays) is also closing and has been selling off stock and fixtures and fittings since last Feb/March. This is situated between Moris and Pacific so I presume the whole block has been sold for re development.
I’ m back out this weekend so will ask about.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Oooh let us know.

The smell of that chicken van always makes me soooo hungry.

Poster: A snowHead

Poster: A snowHead

Ahhh the Moris, hot water in the loo when I was there. You can't beat a warm flush.

Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

@SkyBlueMagoo, welcome to snowHeads.

So that’s where the hot water that should have come out of the shower went.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Christ, don't mention the shower

A drain full of hair and a sloping tray meant a wet bathroom. Three nights. That was enough.

By the way, a source in Val d'Isere says nothing's happened with the Moris this summer, so maybe the pub will be back next season and they'll just continue to use the hotel as staff accommodation until a decision's been made on how to redevelop the building.

Apparently that is the case, and it will be just used for staff this coming season.

I will really miss it! Never thought I'd say that but it's been like my second home for ten years. And we got seasonaire prices in the Moris which, when combined with happy hour, was very decent for Val! £16 bottle of prosecco!!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

stayed here a couple of seasons ago, loved it despite its shabbiness. The only thing that put me off was the noise at night from the bands! part of the experience i guess.

Classic ski resort property that's been around since the world of (British) chalet holidays began. But Val has gone the way of Courchevel a few years back - how long until you can't do a pub crawl in Val d'Isere any more either??

After all it is free

After all it is free

@iainm, good point. Val D gradually moving even further upmarket year on year, like Courchevel 1850.
Consequently, British TOs like Mark Warner significantly reducing their presence in those towns.
They have offloaded the Toviere (La Daille) Dahu (Courchevel 1850) and now the Moris (Val D’Isere). All fairly basic, often good value, large hotels, which gave access to some of the best skiing in the world.

You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.

You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.

@PeakyB, didn't they also used to own the Doron in Meribel a while back? Although not sure it was ever marketed under the MW name

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@dsoutar, yes, I think I remember the Doron, but never stayed there. MW still have the Tarentaise in Mottaret and Loren in Meribel I think.

I don’t notice quite the same rush towards gentrification there as I have in C1850 and Val D.